French court finds former top Sarkozy aides guilty in polling fraud trial

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PARIS (Reuters) – A French court on Friday sentenced two one-time aides to former French president Nicolas Sarkozy to jail for his or her position in the misuse of public funds to finance opinion ballot contracts.

Five of Sarkozy’s former aides and allies from his time as president between 2007 and 2012 have been on trial on prices of favoritism, conspiracy and misuse of public funds over the awarding of contracts value 7.5 million euros ($8.5 million)

Sarkozy himself, who had presidential immunity in this particular case, was circuitously implicated and had sparred with the judges over whether or not he may very well be compelled to testify.

On Friday, the court convicted his former chief of workers Claude Gueant of cronyism, sentencing the top aide to eight months in jail. Consultant Patrick Buisson was handed a two-year suspended jail time period and a 150,000 euro superb for misusing public cash, court paperwork confirmed.

They had denied any wrongdoing.

A lawyer for Gueant advised BFM tv he would attraction the decision.

Prosecutors mentioned the contracts signed by Sarkozy’s workers throughout his 2007-2012 time period in workplace have been sealed in secret and with out competitors – breaking French legal guidelines on public financing that require transparency and aggressive bidding.

Among the others convicted have been the former head of Sarkozy’s personal workplace, Emmanuelle Mignon, and former polling knowledgeable and advisor Pierre Giacometti.

Sarkozy misplaced presidential immunity from authorized prosecution a month after he left workplace and has since confronted investigations into alleged corruption, fraud, favouritism and campaign-funding irregularities.

Sarkozy, who stays an influential determine on the French proper, was himself discovered guilty of unlawful marketing campaign financing and affect peddling final 12 months, a surprising fall from grace for a person who as soon as bestrode the world stage.

(Reporting by Tangui Salaun, Dominique Vidalon; Editing by Bill Berkrot)



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